Abstract
The purpose of this thesis is to create a business plan for a Hunter/Jumper specific lesson
and boarding barn in the Terre Haute area. I felt there was a need for such a barn and services
because of the lack of quality barns in the surrounding areas. The closest high quality, reputable
Hunter/Jumper barns to Terre Haute are in Indianapolis and most customers won’t make that
drive on a regular basis for lessons, let alone to board their horse that far away. There is definite
opportunity for a barn to exist in the area that offers professional instruction and high-end
boarding. That in mind, I created a business plan for a Hunter/Jumper lesson and boarding barn
to open in January 2014.
The barn to be purchased for the business is Green Gables Farm, located in Brazil, IN,
only 10 miles away from the Vigo County Courthouse. It has been on the market for two years
now and is for sale for $600,000. The barn will be renamed High Ground Stables and it will
offer boarding, lessons, clinics, horse shows, and facility rentals, among other services. The
facility is already exactly what is needed for the intended purposes of High Ground Stables, so
little money will need to be spent on repairs or improvements.
After much time and research, a business plan for High Ground Stables has been
completed in order to be used to obtain financing for the business venture. After all is said and
done, it was found that there can be a profit made with this business plan, but it would be two
years until the business experienced any profits. By running this business as a sole
proprietorship, it is much more risky for me to say I want to start High Ground Stables as soon as
possible. I’ve come to the conclusion that the business plan would work even better with a smaller and less expensive facility to start with. If I were able to purchase Green Gables for
$400,000 instead of $600,000, I would be more comfortable in starting this new business
venture.
